Yukon couple credit carbon monoxide detector for saving their lives

A couple in Dawson City, Yukon, say their lives were saved earlier this month when they were awoken in the middle of the night by the shrill beeping of their carbon monoxide detector.

Jesse Cooke says that if it had not been for the detector, he and his wife, Sarah,and their unborn child may havedied.

"It's not something that I thought about until it happened to us, and here we are," Cooke says.

"You know, my wife's 34-weeks pregnant and we've got a little family on the way. That's the only thing that woke us up and got us out of the bed and out of the house. So I'm very, very thankful for it," he says.

Rising levels of carbon monoxide are almost impossible to detect without a monitor.In Cooke's home, the increasedlevels were emitted from an old propane refrigerator.

Jim Regimbal, Dawson City's fire chief, says he is glad the couple are safe, and reiterated that carbon monoxide can be deadly.

"It is the silent killer. You can't smell it or taste it or see it," says Regimbal. "So it does, over time start wearing on you. The smoke alarm does go off at low levels.

"If it does go off, you have to ensure that you clean all of your appliances."

TheCookes say they had a free carbon monoxide detectorgiven out by the Dawson City Fire Department.

"I can't thank the fire department enough, I guess it was this time last year and hand delivered them to all the homes." says Jesse."I'm in West Dawson, I'm off the beaten track too, and they came right to my front door and handed me a couple of these things to have installed in my house."

Cooke is urging other Yukoners to put one in their homes.

The danger from carbon monoxide poisoning tragically hit home in the Yukon three years ago when a family of four and their boarder died in Whitehorse.